Man hospitalized after falling out of hot air balloon, police say

GUILFORD, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – An event volunteer was injured after falling out of a hot air balloon in Connecticut on Sunday night, officials said.

According to the Guilford Police Department, officers responded to the Balloon Glow and Laser Show at the Guilford Fairgrounds at 9:42 p.m. for reports of an injured person who fell from a hot air balloon.

Police said the 69-year-old man who fell was a volunteer for the event. He was helping passengers on and off a hot air balloon when police say the balloon began to rise. The victim was hanging onto the exterior of the balloon’s basket.

Police were told that when the man fell, he was about 10 to 15 feet off of the ground.

The man was taken to the hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

The event issued a statement about what happened.

“The injured party was a crew member for a balloon and for some reason he grabbed the outside bottom of the balloon and then dropped off and was injured in the fall,” the event said.

The incident remains under investigation.